Blaine slept late the next day, not even getting up to take a shower until almost 10. God I love summer. When he finally came downstairs he was surprised to find his brother, on his knees in front of the refrigerator, scrubbing out the inside of the crisper tray. Food from the refrigerator had been piled up all over the island- the kitchen looked like a tornado had hit it or something.

"Hey." Is it Mom's birthday or something, or...? "

"Hey."

"You slept late."

"Yeah. Don't have to work til noon, so..."

"Ah. I just started, the food's all still good if you want anything."

"Oh. Uh, thanks." Blaine went to the cabinet and pulled out a glass. He poured himself some lemonade and sat on one of the stools at the island. "So you're... cleaning out the fridge?"

"Yeah."

"Just... cuz?"

Greg rolled his eyes, sitting back down on the floor and leaning against the lower cabinets. "No dummy. It's part of Dad's new plan to make me miserable for the next 24 hours. After this I get to dust his den, wanna help?"

Blaine swallowed a smile. "Dude. Seriously. What did you do?"

Greg shrugged. "I just dropped the f-bomb a couple times. And... some other things. I think it was this or let mom wash my mouth out with soap."

Blaine nodded. "Dad's on kind of a... language-kick lately." He shuddered, remembering the sting of the swats he'd gotten a couple days ago.

"Yeah, so I'd watch it if I were you. But mainly I think he just thought I was being... a little cavalier..." Greg bit his lip, deciding what to say. "...with kind of telling him and mom what to do. "

"About what?"

"About you."

Blaine eyes darted away. "Oh."

"I thought maybe I'd talk him into a reprieve last night but... no such luck." Greg picked up the crisper tray and put it in the sink, filling it with some water and adding more soap. Blaine drank his lemonade, watching his brother for a minute or so. When he finished he went up by the sink, putting the glass on the counter.

"So, uh, that really true what you said the other night?"

"What I said?"

"About how many... miles away... you are at school from...us?"

Greg chuckled to himself. "Yeah. When I got into college I google mapped it or something. I was... kind of excited about the distance then."

"Because you wanted out of here." It wasn't a question.

"No- not... exactly. Just... I don't know. I felt grown up. It was farther than any of the sleep away camps I ever went to anyhow."

Blaine nodded. "It must be nice to... be away from Lima."

Greg hesitated, considering what to say. "Sometimes. I mean... I miss school like crazy right now, but... when I'm there I think about you guys a lot."

"I kind of figured you didn't... think much about us at all."

"Why?"

Blaine shrugged. "I don't know. I mean- you're real busy with class and activities or whatever. You sayin all that stuff about... being away just kinda- threw me."

Greg dropped the sponge in the sink and turned around, studying his brother. "I was... out of line, Blaine."

Blaine didn't know what to say. He'd half expected his brother to start lecturing him on why staying at Dalton was the only sensible choice. "You were just- I mean, I get it Greg-"

"No. I shouldn't have made you feel bad about this."

"Well, you have a... point about some things... I didn't think you'd be worried about me."

Greg smiled. "You really think I never think about you?"

Blaine shrugged. There was an awkward pause.

"Do you want to go to this other school?"

Blaine looked at his brother for what felt like a long time. Finally, he said, "I honestly don't know."

Greg nodded. He turned back to the sink, turning over the crisper train to drain all the water out. "Dad told me you went to prom at Kurt's school."

"Yeah."

"I didn't know that."

Blaine shrugged. "I didn't really talk about it much."

Greg looked back at Blaine. "But it was okay?"

Blaine was unsure how much he wanted to share. "Well, Kurt really wanted to go. And... it wasn't- all perfect, but-"

"What's that mean?"

"Well there are some people at Kurt's school..." Blaine hesitated. He hadn't told anyone in his family what had happened with the whole Prom Queen debacle. Kurt had been humiliated and it was just... better focusing on the good memories of prom. "It's a long story."

"That takes balls to... go out and do that. I mean, after... everything that happened to you."

Blane blushed at the compliment, shrugging his shoulders. "It was fun."

"I'm guessing Kurt's had the same kind of issues you used to have? With... jerks at school?"

"...Yeah. It's why he came to Dalton before."

"But he went back."

"Yeah."

"He has friends there."

"Oh yeah. He's got a bunch of friends in the Glee club, I've hung out with them a bunch of times."

"When I was in school being in the glee club wasn't exactly the popular thing like it is at Dalton."

"Well, no. It still kind of isn't, I guess."

"Even if he wasn't gay, being in the glee club... kids probably would just assume..."

"Yeah."'

"Well... I guess you know what you might be getting into."

"I don't want you all worrying about me."

"We just... care about you is all. Even Dad. Though if your teenage years are going anything like mine did you probably wonder on that front every now and then."

Blaine nodded. "He's still real... strict about stuff. Hasn't changed."

"Heh. I've noticed." Greg pulled the latex gloves off of his hands and tossed them in the sink.

"Mom's worse sometimes."

"Yeah. That happens... But, they both... mean well. Even when they're being ridiculous." Blaine nodded. "Look, I don't like people telling me what to do, and it's not really fair for me to be telling you what to do either. It's your life, it's just... you're my baby brother-" Blaine gave Greg a look. "Younger brother." Greg amended, smiling. "I've been bossing you around since I was like four years old. It's just taking me a little while to get used to thinking of you as a..."

"Real person?"

"Yeah."

"I guess that's... fair."

"I can't pretend like I'm totally great with this idea, but if you decide it's what you want... I won't... be a jerk about it."

Blaine smiled. "I've got like an hour. You want some... help with the den?"

"Blaine Anderson is volunteering to dust? Wonders never cease."

"Oh shut up. You want my help or not?"

"Depends. Seems awful fishy to me," Greg teased. "Little brothers who volunteer for these kinds of forced marches are usually trying to get something out of it."

"Well next time I'm sentenced to hard labor I figure I can call in a favor."

"Right, like you're ever in trouble."

Blaine laughed. "You really have been away a long time. I'm in trouble like, every other week, man."

"Right. And how many times have you missed curfew this year?"

"Once."

"Once!" Greg's head leaned back as he laughed out loud. "Good God, I'm surprised you haven't been signed up for military school, you're practically a delinquent."

"Oh, once was enough, let me tell you."

"This is why you've always been the smarter brother."

"Does that make you the pretty one?"

"Shut up." Greg shook his head, tossing a washcloth at Blaine's face. "I don't know how I put up with you sometimes."

"You lo-ove me." Blaine teased.

"Yeah don't let it go to your head or anything." Greg grinned.